Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks Final Preseason Game Preview

As the Raiders travel to play the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night in their final preseason game, Oakland must avoid injuries and evaluate for the final 53 man roster. With the final cuts coming Friday evening, this will be the last time the Raiders coaching staff and management will be able to see the bubble roster players. Starters are not expected to play much in this game.

Because the Raiders have been bitten by the injury bug, head coach Dennis Allen may have some reservations about playing the first team. Instead he may choose to get an extended look at players that are on the back end of the 53 man roster.

“Well, no one wants to see anyone get hurt, you know what I mean,” Allen said. “This whole preseason, it’s a delicate balance of getting guys reps and getting them ready to play opening night of the season and working them too much where you’re wearing them down for the season. All of us only have so many shots in our body. So you don’t want to use them all up in the preseason and yet you have to do enough work that you get better. That’s the fine line we walk as coaches and we’ll evaluate that before this game and figure out exactly how much we want to play certain guys.”

One thing to keep an eye out for is newly acquired Roscoe Parrish. Parrish was brought in to help out on punt and kickoff returns, which have been a struggle for the Raiders, this preseason. He should be out on the field against Seattle and will have to make an impression with finals cuts Friday. Parrish may also see some time as a slot receiver.

“Just coming over here when they need a returner is like a good feeling because that’s what I do,” Parrish said. “Just being back there and making plays and just not going to take anything for granted, just go out there and I don’t know how much I’m going to play Thursday, but look forward to being in that Black and Silver.”

After a spectacular performance against the Detroit Lions, quarterback Terrelle Pryor will get another chance to show his skills and development. Pryor showed that when he gains confidence and plays with freedom, he can be special. He will see a healthy number of snaps this week.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders must continue to shut down the run. Through the first three preseason games, the defense has done a terrific job forcing teams to be one dimensional because of their run defense. Although the starters will play sparingly, there will be serious implications on Thursday night.
The final preseason game will be important to guys like defensive tackle Jamie Cumbie, who was a standout against Detroit with a sack and three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. He will have to continue to make impact plays to ensure a spot on the final roster. Outside linebacker Carl Inhenacho has pressured the quarterback well throughout the preseason. In order for him to lock up a roster spot he will need to show well against Seattle. Finally, cornerbacks DeMarcus Van Dyke and Chimdi Chekwa will have an opportunity to separate themselves for the other defensive backs with a solid performance. Defensive back Coye Francies, who the Raiders picked up off waivers yesterday, will need to make an impact.

Top 5 Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame snubs

The Oakland Raiders have always been a team that you either love or you hate and sometimes the animosity toward the Oakland Raiders led towards Hall of Fame players not being inducted into the Hall of Fame. These are the top five Oakland Raiders to not be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The list was extremely hard to come to a conclusion on and if you disagree, feel free to leave a comment on who you’re top 5 are.

5. Jim Plunkett

Jim Plunkett’s first game in the NFL was a 20-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders in 1971 ironically. In a career that spanned from 1971-1986, Jim Plunkett was labeled a draft bust by 1976 because he was selected number 1 overall by the Patriots and was traded to the 49ers in 1977. Jim Plunkett was cut by the 49ers in 1978 during the preseason and was picked up by the Raiders which would be one of the best free agent pickups in NFL history. Jim Plunkett went on to lead the Raiders to two super bowl championships in 1980 and 1983, yet his playoff success later in his career doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Jim Plunkett may have had a rocky start coming into the league, but he actually won two rings while some quarterbacks in the Hall like Dan Marino have no rings. Kenny Stabler is honorable mention in the quarterback position, but Jim Plunkett has a better Super Bowl resume and Stabler easily should be 5b.

4. Tim Brown

Tim Brown was a Hall of Fame finalist this year, but didn’t make the final cut into this year’s inductees. Tim Brown was an Oakland Raider from 1988-2003, before he was released by Oakland in 2004 before the season began. Brown was a 9 time pro bowler and made an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII that most Raider fans wish to forget, but that doesn’t luster the career Brown has had in shaping his legacy as one of the best receivers in the NFL. Tim Brown will eventually reach the Hall in most estimation, but it is still a snub.

3. Lester Hayes

Lester Hayes was a lifelong Raider from 1977-1986 and is known by many as the greatest shutdown corner in the history of the game. Hayes had 39 interceptions in his career and broke the single season NFL record for most interceptions in an entire year in 1980 with 13. Hayes was also a member of the 1980 and 83 super bowl winning teams of the Oakland Raiders. One of the main reasons Hayes may be held back for the HOF was his fondness for using stickum, but he never used it after it was banned in 1981.  Other reasons may be because he doesn’t have a lot of interceptions, but he didn’t have a lot of interceptions because of how well he played the corner position and is a shame a player of his caliber hasn’t been inducted yet. Jack Tatum is honorable mention on the defensive side of the ball as well, but this is the top five for a reason and Hayes has a better resume for getting into the Hall.

2. Cliff Branch

Cliff Branch was famous for telling John Madden before a game, “I can beat my guy.” and Madden would reply, “We haven’t even started the game yet.” which personifies his career as an Oakland Raider. Branch played for the Raiders from 1972-1985 in a career that included four pro bowls, and three super bowl championships. Cliff Branch also shows some evidence of a bias for the Steelers on the Hall of Fame panel, because Cliff Branch has better statistics then Lynn Swan and the pedigree as well, but isn’t in the hall of fame. Cliff Branch is better than Lynn Swan and the fact Swan is in and Branch isn’t in the Hall of Fame is a gigantic snub. Hopefully Branch will have football immortality soon, but it would be shame if his name is never called, because he deserves it.

1. Ray Guy

Ray Guy played for the Oakland Raiders from 1973-86 and Guy is the biggest snub in the history of  the Hall of Fame snubs because he revolutionized the kicking game. Not to mention being a 7 time pro bowler and three time Super Bowl winner, Ray Guy changed how teams use special teams to their advantage to win games. Joe Horrigan, the historian of the NFL Hall of Fame said once of Guy, “He’s the punter you could look at and say: ‘He won games.’ ” and it’s the truth. Special teams players are notoriously snubbed from the hall of fame because they don’t play every down, but can you tell the history of the game without mentioning the man who revolutionized special team punt coverage? He is number one because he is a no brainer, you put Ray Guy in because he changed history in the NFL and if that isn’t enough to get voters to notice, then it’s a snub.

Honorable mention for players who didn’t make the top five are Kenny Stabler, Jack Tatum, Phil Villapiano, Todd Christensen, Tom Flores, and Steve Wisniewski.

Russell Wilson, Nick Foles also having good preseasons so far as rookie quarterback

While there's reasonable hype surrounding the matchup of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III on Saturday night, "Russellmania" was the highlight of Friday's NFL preseason action.

Rookie third-round quarterback Russell Wilson made a strong case to become the Seattle Seahawks' opening-day starter with his performance against a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense on the road at Arrowhead Stadium. Wilson (13-for-19, 185 yards, two touchdowns, two carries, 58 yards) continued to play like the heady, athletic, super-efficient passer he was in college. He wasn't rattled under pressure and made good decisions spreading the ball around to his receivers.

Wilson looked much steadier than Chiefs counterpart Matt Cassel, and probably even exceeded the expectations of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Seattle is looking smart for opening the QB race up early in the offseason. Even though there's good money invested in free-agent addition Matt Flynn, the fact Wilson sparked the team to a 44-14 victory can't be ignored.

Now it no longer will be surprising if Wilson joins Luck, Griffin, Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden as rookie Week 1 No. 1s.

Nick Foles, taken in the same 2012 third round after Wilson by the Philadelphia Eagles, won't be starting again against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 9, but what he did against the Browns in Friday's 27-10 win likely secured his No. 2 job behind Michael Vick.

Given Vick has only made it through one regular season without missing a game, there's a good chance Foles will be thrust into first-string duty that counts at some point. Foles (12-for-19, 146 yards, two TDs) did his damage against a vanilla Browns defensive game plan, but his confidence and command of the Eagles' offense was evident.

He hasn't been the only pleasant rookie surprise in the passing game, either. Undrafted wideout Damaris Johnson (2 catches, 58 yards) will stick and have an impact on both the Eagles' spread-receiver sets and the return game.
Russell Wilson had another big night for the Seahawks and may have locked up the starting quarterback spot. (AP Photo)
Bang for the Bucs' newcomers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were aggressive in opening up their wallets and going after draft picks to help them right away. All their moves look like they will pay off handsomely.

Vincent Jackson keeps dazzling as Josh Freeman's new go-to wide receiver (3 catches for 49 yards in the 30-28 win over New England). The other big addition of Carl Nicks looks well timed, given the Bucs saw fellow Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph go down with a left knee injury against the Patriots.

Tampa's two rookie first-rounders have already emerged has big contributors. Running back Doug Martin (16 touches, 65 yards from scrimmage) has locked up the feature role, and safety Mark Barron came through with an interception return touchdown against Tom Brady.

General manager Mark Dominik deserves a lot of credit, and new coach Greg Schiano's influence on the team's defense and discipline are also evident.
Vikings have a bumpy Kalil ride

Matt Kalil, the Minnesota Vikings' fourth overall pick at left tackle, has a little way to go before he can nail down the blindside pass protection in front of second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. Kalil got worked by Larry English (two sacks) and the San Diego Chargers' edge pass rush in 12-10 home loss.

Kalil is a strong, athletic lineman, but his footwork and technique are works in progress. He has the potential to be a great one, however, and he will get up to speed quickly facing Jared Allen flying at him in practice from left end all season.

Taking a Look at the Kansas City Chiefs Offseason

Two of the biggest acquisitions that the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason were Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry, both of whom return after missing most of the 2011 season. This is going to be huge for a franchise that is looking to get back to the postseason after a one year hiatus.
Other than that, Kansas City did a damn fine job adding talent in both free agency and the draft. They’re going to be right in the mix of things when it comes to the ultra-competitive AFC West this season.
Let’s take a look at what the Chiefs did to improve their roster.
One of the biggest acquisitions this team could have made was the signing of Eric Winston from the Houston Texans. Winston, a five-year starter in Houston, is the best run-blocking offensive tackle in the National Football League. He has the ability to both pull to the outside and maul between the hashes. The Texans were forced to release the former third-round pick due to salary cap issues, but I am pretty sure Kansas City isn’t going to complain about it.
You can bet that Winston will help Charles on sweeps to the outside and give the young running back more lanes and angles to run through. Winston will also help recently signed Peyton Hillis between the hashes. The former Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos running back can be one of the best between the hashes runners in the league as long as he is motivated. A wide array of different issues in Cleveland last season caused Hillis to quite literally fall off the map.
You have to remember that the former Arkansas standout is just one year removed from compiling 1,600 total yards and 13 touchdowns for the Browns. He will act as a great change of pace guy for Charles.
It was nearly impossible for the Chiefs to retain Brandon Carr in free agency. No NFL team, no matter their salary cap dynamics, can afford to pay two conerbacks top of the line money. With Brandon Flowers already in the mix on a long-term deal the Chiefs had to sit back and watch Carr leave for the Dallas Cowboys. Rather than trying to replace him with an in-house candidate or unproven rookie, Kansas City immediately signed Stanford Routt after he was released by the Oakland Raiders.
Routt may not be the dynamic cover guy that Carr was, but he did contribute 30 starts, 28 passes defended and six interceptions for the Raiders over the course of the last two seasons.
The draft was also pretty friendly to Kansas City. Many scouts had Dontari Poe pegged as nothing more than a “workout warrior” leading up to the draft. After watching ample tame of Poe at Memphis I refused to fall in line with those observations. The massive defensive tackle was forced to take on three and sometimes four blockers at Memphis and was still able to provide a legitimate pass-rush. What Poe will be asked to do in Kansas City is a bit different. They’re going to ask him to clog the middle for pass-rushers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali from the outside. They’re also going to ask him to stop the run and act as a gap-filler. These are two things that I believe Poe can contribute immediately.
There wasn’t a great deal of talk about former Illinois offensive tackle Jeff Allen in the months leading up to the draft. All he did in college was quietly become one of the best offensive lineman in the entire country. Allen is strong against the pass-rush, but makes his money mauling opposing defenders at the line of scrimmage. This is one of the reasons that Kansas City selected Allen solely to play guard in the NFL. Moreover, he should provide stiff competition for Ryan Lilja, who struggled a great deal in 2011. In fact, you might see Allen starting directly out of the gate.
Overall, the Chiefs did a tremendous job in free agency. You have to remember that they were missing two of their best players, Charles and Berry, for all but a couple of games last year. Imagine how the Baltimore Ravens would have fared without Ray Rice and Ed Reed. It was kinda the same dynamic with this Chiefs in 2011.
Couple those two returning stars with a nice offseason and there is on reason to believe that Kansas City cannot win the AFC West after a one year hiatus.
As is the case with most teams, it is all going to come down to quarterback play. Matt Cassel needs to revert back to 2010 form if the Chiefs are going to take the division.

Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator Jason Tarver on Progression of the Defense

Text size A A AAs the Oakland Raiders' defense prepare for their toughest test of the preseason against the Detroit Lions, defensive coordinator Jason Tarver wants to see the defense continue to show progression. As a first year defense coordinator in the NFL, Tarver is teaching his defense to a new team, but likes what he has seen with team work and process.

    “It’s all about process, it really is,” Tarver said. “It’s about teaching progression and processing. Putting everything together in categories so we can progress where we want to go. It’s great that they can see that because now they are putting those things together, going, ‘oh this looks like this. I see myself in this making plays.’ But now we’ve got to do it and we have to do it with 11 guys together.”

Tarver broke into the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and spent 10 years with the team, most coming as a linebackers coach. Last season he jumped to Stanford to be the co-defensive coordinator and the Cardinal led the Pac 12 in six defense categories. After all he has a master's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology helping him match wits against the offense.

The first year Raiders' defensive coordinator wants to utilize multiple defensive looks and schemes. He will be tasked with improving a defense that last season ranked 27th against both the run and the pass. He will use both man and zone coverages. One of the most important aspects Tarver wants to bring to the Raiders is pressure by dialing up blitzes.

    “There’s good pressure at times,” Tarver said. “More encouraged is the guys working together and the mindset. It’s about mindset, it’s about I know where I’m going and you’ve got to deal with me.”

There has been much chatter from players like Michael Huff and Richard Seymour that this Raiders defense under Tarver has a chance to be top five. The players love the system because it allows them to be aggressive and make plays. As far as being a top five defense when 2012 is done, Tarver defines good defense in his terms.

    “How do you rank a top-five defense” Tarver said. “There’s a lot of ways, but the biggest one is getting the heck off the field and getting the ball to Carson and the guys. That’s the biggest one, that’s what we want to do. The other stats with that, that’s a result of controlling how we get off the field. Third down percentage, red zone touchdown percentage, those are a couple that are good markers.

With the third NFL preseason game widely regarded as the closest to a regular season game as far as starters playing more time and game planning for a specific opponent, Tarver sees the Detroit Lions as a significant challenge. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and company will give the Raiders defense their best test of the offseason.

    “It’s a good order for us,” Tarver said. “You got Dallas that can throw it, and wants to run [the ball] downhill at you. You have Arizona who shifts a little bit and still runs downhill at you, and of course as a good wide receiver. And then you have Detroit that runs it more than most people think they do, but it is a little bit more spread out and they try to get match-ups for their good players. Of course we know the guy with the nickname who is on the cover of ESPN The Magazine this week. But they have other players, and that quarterback he gets it out. It’s kind of a nice progression for us. Facing those three, two styles, and a little slightly different style, with slightly different personnel groups. So we can learn how to use our rules for all our different defenses.”

Allen to usher in new era at Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have appointed Dennis Allen as their new head coach to replace Hue Jackson.
The Raiders missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season in 2011, their record of eight wins and eight losses not good enough for Jackson to keep his job after just one season at the helm.
At 39 years of age, Allen becomes the youngest current head coach in the NFL, and said he is confident he can return the Oakland franchise to their past glories.
“The vision for the future of the Oakland Raiders is going to be just that. It is going to be a tough, smart, disciplined and committed football team,” Allen said.
“You don’t win football games in the National Football League by talent alone. There are a lot of others things that are a part of winning, those are the things that we are going to develop and the things we will preach on a day to day basis to our players.”
“We do have talented players, we have enough talent in our team to compete for a Championship and that is what our goal will be every year.”
Allen becomes the seventh man to be given the Raiders head coaching job since 2003, and the first since former team owner Al Davis died last year.
Despite only having one season of NFL-level coaching behind him – a year as defensive coordinator at the Denver Broncos – Allen said he wanted to put his own stamp on the Raiders.
“Al Davis was a big part of developing our tradition and a big part of setting the foundation for what we are and what we are going to become,” he said.
“This is a new day in Oakland Raiders football. We are progressing forward and we are going to set our own goals and aspirations in the things we want to try and get accomplished within the organisation.”
“This organisation is committed to winning, Mr Davis used to say committed to excellence, and we are committed to excellence within this organisation.”